Bleav No Script No Problem

Emmy-winning documentary filmmaker RORY KENNEDY joins the podcast to chat about the new film she's directed, "THE VOLCANO: RESCUE FROM WHAKAARI," which premieres December 16, 2022, on NETFLIX. The feature doc chronicles the tragic events surrounding a sightseeing trip to a remote island off the coast of New Zealand in 2019, where 47 tourists and guides became trapped by a volcanic eruption. Rory does a fantastic job with minute-by-minute iPhone footage, stylish recreations and intimate interviews with individuals who were there, as you really see humanity at its most resilient. Listen to the interview and watch the doc on Netflix. Trailer below.

"THE VOLCANO: RESCUE FROM WHAKAARI" - TRAILER & INFO

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hnxGV9RQutE

https://www.indiewire.com/2022/11/the-volcano-rescue-from-whakaari-trailer-leonardo-dicaprio-1234786172/

MY SOCIAL MEDIA

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In this episode, I chop it up with filmmaker CJ RUSSO, the visionary behind the wonderful documentary feature film, "LADY BUDS," which tells the story of 6 courageous women who come out of the shadows of the CANNABIS underground to forge a path to legalization, battling deep-pocketed corporations as they risk everything to make their American Dream come true in the market they helped create. This film has heart, humor, and grit. CJ talks to me about how she brought it to life over 4 years and had to gain the trust of the cannabis community, which doesn't always welcome outsiders.

You can watch "Lady Buds" on STARZ, AMAZON PRIME, YouTube, VUDU, GOOGLE PLAY, ITUNES, and MICROSOFT. Trailer below as well as some great news for CJ regarding a scripted spin on the "Lady Buds" story. Listen to this episode of "No Script, No Problem" on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, TuneIn, and Google Podcasts. Thanks! 🙏

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hxYoD1xDD7c

https://deadline.com/2022/02/lady-buds-cannabis-doc-spinoffs-1234958078/?fbclid=IwAR1fAwf28jPgkNgjFTo64UlkZBlXNYmVVrij7OjH5dsyQop8sivkoZ_iypg

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The 2022 Academy Awards are set for March 27th, and my guest - MATT OGENS - will be there with his film - "AUDIBLE" - nominated for an Oscar in the category of Best Documentary Short. Streaming now on NETFLIX, "Audible" is a cinematic and immersive coming of age documentary film, which takes you inside a high school football season with the Maryland School for the Deaf, introducing the world to some incredibly talented and resilient student-athletes who face many obstacles — on and off the field.

Twelve years in the making, Matt, a Maryland native, talks about how special and personal this project is to him and how this is much more than a "sports doc." We also discuss the stylistic choices he made to develop a sense of intimacy and how he made "sound a character." Along with Ogens, acclaimed "Friday Night Lights" director PETER BERG serves as an executive producer on the project, so don't be surprised if you feel some of those "clear eyes, full hearts, can't lose" chills when you watch "Audible." Check out the film on Netflix now and let's root for Matt on the 3/27/2022 at the Academy Awards! Trailer below.

Trailer for "Audible" on Netflix

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G5htMIBhdGk

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In this episode, I talk to award-winning director and executive producer ALEXANDRA DEAN about her shocking and powerful 10-part A&E documentary series, Secrets of Playboy, a no-holds-barred exposé on the Playboy empire and legendary founder Hugh Hefner. The series paints a damning portrait of Hefner, the pipe-smoking, silk pajama-wearing mogul, who once was a famed champion of women's rights and the sexual revolution. As Alex tells me on the podcast and you can see in the docu-series, several former Playmates claim Hefner raped, coerced and dominated them, allowing his friends and celebrities (among them Bill Cosby) to do likewise, and fashioned a cult-like environment to satisfy his incessant appetite for sex and power.

Alex talks to me about her investigative process, specifically how she uncovered the dark side of the Playboy Mansion, as numerous former Playmates and employees revealed tales of abuse and cover-ups to keep scandals out of the press. We also discuss the role that E!'s reality show, "The Girls Next Door" played in perpetuating the myth of Hugh Hefner and building up the Playboy facade. Check out the trailer below and watch the series on Mondays on A&E. Listen to our conversation on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, and TuneIn. Thanks! 🙏

"Secrets of Playboy" - Trailer

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YuWdBMon3EU

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In this episode, I talk to the talented filmmakers of the wonderful HBO documentary, "STREET GANG: HOW WE GOT TO SESAME STREET," a fascinating film that gives a rare window into the early days of the groundbreaking TV series, “Sesame Street,” revealing the creators, artists, writers and educators, who together established one of the most influential and enduring children’s programs in television history. My guests are the fantastic director of the documentary, Marilyn Agrelo, and two of the producers, Trevor Crafts and Ellen Scherer Crafts - both of whom put years into making this film happen. The trio explains how Sesame Street is as relevant today as it was when it began in 1969, and we discuss the many important barriers it broke, becoming an essential part of our culture and national dialogue.

“STREET GANG: HOW WE GOT TO SESAME STREET” is on HBO and HBO Max. Find links to the trailer below and their website. You can hear the episode on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Bleav.com, and TuneIn. See my website below as well. Email questions and suggestions to: [email protected] 📧 Thanks! 🙏

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uQEFS6aKXCU&t=1s

https://www.hbo.com/movies/street-gang-how-we-got-to-sesame-street

https://berkreport.com

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In this episode, I chat with director/editor/producer JODY MCVEIGH-SCHULTZ about his outstanding 3-part HBO true crime documentary series, “The Murders at Starved Rock,” which explores the 1960 brutal murders of three women at Starved Rock State Park in LaSalle, Illinois, and the decades of questions and doubts left in their wake. 🎥 Jody tells me about the pressures of directing his first TRUE CRIME docu-series and how he brought his own style and POV to it but also makes sure to give true crime fans what they want and maintains the HBO standards. 📺 🙌 We discuss how they made this a story as much about generational trauma as it is about the search for truth and who is guilty. Of course, I also had to ask Jody about his time editing DRUNK HISTORY, one of my favorite guilty pleasures. He shares some fun insights from that experience. 😂

You can watch “The Murders at Starved Rock” on HBO and HBO Max and you can hear my interview with Jody and all eps of "No Script, No Problem" on Spotify, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, and TuneIn. See links below to the trailer of the HBO docu-series as well as where to find me on social media. Email any questions you have here: [email protected]

Thanks! 🙏

https://www.hbo.com/murders-at-starved-rock

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UVZL2pAnaZU&t=2s

https://berkreport.com

https://twitter.com/steveberkowitz

https://www.instagram.com/stevemberkowitz/

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In this episode, I chat with Academy and Emmy Award-winning film producer and director EVA ORNER, whose incredible works include “Bikram: Yogi, Guru, Predator” on Netflix, “Burning” on Amazon Prime, "Chasing Asylum," "Out of Iraq," "Taxi to the Dark Side" (she won an Oscar for producing this), and "Gonzo: The Life and Work of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson." Listen as Eva shares some fascinating details about the making of her amazing documentary, "Burning," which takes an unflinching look at the unprecedented and catastrophic Australian bushfires of 2019-2020, known as ‘Black Summer.’ Eva exposes the Australian government's negligence and disregard for climate change, as she documents the deadly effects of fire after fire throughout Australia over the decades. The film tackles the climate crisis head-on and leaves viewers longing for and demanding political change.

Watch "Burning" on Amazon Prime now. There's a link to the film and the trailer below. We also discuss Eva's powerful feature doc about the criminal yoga guru, Bikram Choudhury, which is streaming on Netflix. Her passion for uncovering wrongdoing and shining a light on critical societal issues comes through again here, as it has throughout her career.

Listen to the episode on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, and TuneIn. Please remember to subscribe, download, and rate the show with 5 stars. 📧 questions or suggestions to: [email protected]

Thanks!

https://www.amazon.com/Burning-EVA-ORNER/dp/B09M45NHTX

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hTfyD7ALJtU

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In this episode, I'm psyched to chat with Peabody and Emmy Award-winning director/producer ERIKA COHN, who Variety recognized as one of 2017’s top documentary filmmakers to watch. We discuss her powerful, shocking and incredibly impactful feature doc, "BELLY OF THE BEAST," which exposes modern-day eugenics and illegal sterilizations in California prisons.

Erika explains how she filmed Belly of the Beast over seven years and was able to gain such extraordinary access and intimate accounts from currently and formerly incarcerated people. She shares insight of how patience, passion and determination helped her and her team achieve change in the system and reparations for the victims of forced sterilizations. And the film even boasts a theme song from the one and only Mary J. Blige! 

You can find info on Erika and Belly of the Beast below as well as where to find me on social media. Please remember to subscribe, download, and rate "No Script, No Problem" with 5 stars. You can find it on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher and TuneIn. Thanks! 🙏

ERIKA'S WEBSITE: https://www.idlewildfilmsinc.com

BELLY OF THE BEAST TRAILER: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IoD7VgFl9EI 

MY WEBSITE: https://berkreport.com

MY TWITTER: https://twitter.com/steveberkowitz

MY INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/stevemberkowitz/

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In this episode, I'm honored to have the award-winning documentary filmmaker SONIA KENNEBECK as my guest, as we discuss 3 of her incredible films: "Enemies of the State," "United States vs. Reality Winner," and "National Bird." In the 3 films, Sonia investigates the critical topics of government surveillance, national security, and the role of the whistleblower in a powerful and necessary way. We talk about how Sonia adjusted in real time during the filming of "Enemies of the State" to several twists and turns in the story. We also get into why she thinks the story of whistleblower Reality Winner needs more attention and why her story is important for all Americans. And of course, we chat about "National Bird," which focuses on the controversial drone program and premiered at the Berlin Film Festival 2016 and was also selected for Tribeca, Sheffield, and IDFA. You can find info on Sonia and her films below as well as where to find me on social media. Please remember to subscribe, download, and rate "No Script, No Problem" with 5 stars. You can find it on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher and TuneIn. Thanks! 🙏

SONIA'S WEBSITE: https://www.codebreakerfilms.com

WEBSITE FOR "ENEMIES OF THE STATE": https://www.enemiesofthestate.movie

WEBSITE FOR "NATIONAL BIRD": http://nationalbirdfilm.com

MY WEBSITE: https://berkreport.com

MY TWITTER: https://twitter.com/steveberkowitz

MY INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/stevemberkowitz/

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Love this episode! Producer/Director/Filmmaker REBECCA HALPERN joins "No Script, No Problem" to talk about her new documentary film: "Love, Charlie: The Rise and Fall of Chef Charlie Trotter," which premieres 10/18/21 at the Chicago Film Festival. 🎥 Halpern, a Chicago native, makes her feature doc debut with a complex and nuanced portrait of the legendary chef, Charlie Trotter, who could be a hopeless romantic, who mentored dozens upon dozens of young talents, who is lauded as a wonderful friend and a dedicated father — but could also be enigmatic, mercurial, hot-tempered and dismissive of anyone he felt couldn’t meet his impossibly high standards. Rebecca explains the challenges of making her first film during the pandemic and how she adapted her style and approach but was still able to accomplish her goals. A veteran of true crime, Rebecca talks about how she used her unscripted TV skills as she makes the transition to feature docs. Check out the amazing review "Love, Charlie" received in the Chicago Sun Times below and listen to the episode on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, and TuneIn. Thanks! 🙏

https://chicago.suntimes.com/movies-and-tv/2021/10/12/22714995/love-charlie-review-trotter-documentary-chef-chicago

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